Uncategorized – Page 11 – Chicken and Frog Bookshop

Pottermore; the wait is over…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by chickenandfrog

Well this morning finally saw the opening of the metaphoric Pottermore doors to the general public. I can not describe quite how over excited our 10 year old daughter is. To say she’s been banging on about it for months would be an understatement. But, if I’m honest, my excitement probably matches hers. Just imagine, a whole new world for Potter fans to explore. If the reviews from the beta are anything to go by, we’re in for a visual treat, although some commented that the interaction itself was lacking.

The doors creaked open a few hours ago, but alas, the wait is not quite over yet! The site is inundated with curious fans all eager to have a sneaky peak at JK’s latest offering. This has resulted in a bit of a backlog, so we are still waiting for that all important, glorious email which will grant access to the hidden treasures of Pottermore. Whether you’re a fan of Harry and his pals or not, there’s no denying that the Pottermore experience will engage and enthrall children and that can’t be a bad thing, as long as it doesn’t take them away from their reading ;).

Watch this space for an update…if we ever get beyond the opening animations!

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Debut novel

Posted on April 12, 2012 by chickenandfrog

I am a lucky chicken! I have been chosen to review ‘Tell the Wolves I’m Home’ by début novelist Carol Rifka Brunt. I can’t post my review here, but I will say that I read it in two days, which is pretty quick considering it’s the Easter hols and I’m at home herding three radishes around. The review will be published on http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/7206/Tell-the-Wolves-I-m-Home-by-Carol-Rifka-Brunt.html within the next few days. It is a truly beautiful read – get the tissues ready though, you may need them.

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Too early to read to my children?

Posted on April 10, 2012 by chickenandfrog

I read an article today in the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2012/apr/10/book-doctor-baby-books?CMP=twt_gu which gave advice on how to engage your young child with a book. For me, it seems an odd concept. I have read to our three since they were in the womb, so the idea of not knowing how to engage a young child in the wonders of a book is an alien concept. It is true though that many parents don’t know where or when to begin. Perhaps their own experiences have been limited or they are simply overwhelmed by the amount of ‘advice’ bandied about. For me, it’s not just about the physicality of the book, although that is key, it’s the art of being able to craft a story which captures your child’s imagination. It can be about anything. Seriously, I remember making up stories about cooking the tea, when our eldest was a toddler and our middle one was a screaming (but very beautiful) babe in arms.

Once you have them hooked on the pattern of words, they will want to explore for themselves. Cloth books, board books which become lovingly chewed to pieces, you name it, your child will love it, if you read it with feeling. Try it, honestly, it works! I have read the complete ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to a newborn and repeated the tales of my grandparents to a class of challenging year 6 pupils. The stories jump into life without the aid of a screen or app (although technologies most certainly do have a place within our children’s experiences). What engages them is you. You are the teller of these wondrous tales and children want to be mesmerised by other worlds.

At Chicken and Frog we aim to do just that, create other worlds for children and parents/grandparents…to immerse themselves in. We already have a programme called ‘Discover a Book’ booked in with the wonderful @ClaireMackaness from Beautiful Things http://www.clairemackaness.com/, which allows parents and children to find out about a book and hone some crafty skills which can be used together at home.

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Hello world!

Posted on April 9, 2012April 10, 2012 by chickenandfrog

Welcome to our blog. This is all very new for me, so bear with my wittering. I thought I’d begin by explaining our name. We had no idea what to call our new venture, and then Jim (yes, I will blame him) said, ‘How about ‘Chicken and Frog’, you know, like the joke?’ So, this is the joke:

A chicken walks into a bookshop and says ‘Book, book, book, book.’

The Frog replies ‘Readit, readit, readit!’

It’s terrible we know, but it still makes me chortle, so it’s stuck. I can only apologise…